Would you eat this?

[Paracelsus]

There was a post on msn.com recently naming the best burger joints in the US. I can't find the link to that post for the life of me, but I remeber that one of the places named was Dyer's in Memphis, TN. I found a review of their food here: http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Writ...251&RefID=1251

Notice what the review had to say about the restaurant's hygiene practices:

A round of raw ground beef is held on the cutting board under a spatula and the spatula is whacked a few times with a heavy hammer, flattening the meat into a semi-compressed patty at least four inches wide....[and] is submerged into a deep, black skillet full of bubbling-hot grease, grease that the management boasts has not been changed since Dyer’s opened in 1912! [emphasis added] It’s the grease that gives a Dyer’s burger a consummately juicy interior while it develops a crusty outside and a unique, shall we say, intriguing flavor.

Our waitress explained that the grease is carefully strained every night after closing hour (usually about 4am; this is Beale Street, after all); and besides, the really old grease is always burning off, so the supply that supposedly never changes is, in fact, always changing.

Ew. EwewewewewewewewewewewewewewewewEW!!!

I would think it would be in the owner's best interests to keep the vintage of his oil a deep secret--part of the 'special recipe' as it were.

[sarongsong]

Hmmh...1912...2012...coincidence?!

[NEOWatcher]

Notice what the review had to say about the restaurant's hygiene practices:
...
Ew. EwewewewewewewewewewewewewewewewEW!!!

Sounds bad, but what exactly would be wrong with it?

There's no way that any kind of organism can survive such a situation. And; I equate hygiene with organisms, so I doubt it's actually a hygiene issue.

If anything, it sounds like it might have some nasty chemical compound buildup in it, and that might be worth checking into. But; how bad can it actually be?

I'd probably give it a try... Well...maybe once.

[Neverfly]

I'd eat.

The oil is continuously changed- just never changed all at one time.
That grease is NOT the same grease as what they started with in 1912. The article even admits that.

[LotusExcelle]

That is really nasty. I would hope they put it through some kind of crazy filtering system - or else by now all that is likely to be left is beef fat. Can't imagine its true - maybe someone can back me up on this but aren't there regulations for fryer oil change? Like, every 3000 chicken nuggets?

[LotusExcelle]

Ah okay maybe I should read the article.

[Fazor]

Yeah, actually it's common practice to keep "old" oil and continue to use it. It (supposidly) takes on flavor that way, but as NEO pointed out, no bacteria/germs will survive that environment anyway.

Besides, most chain resturantes only change theirs once a weak...so what's another (approx) 4990 weeks?

[Neverfly]

Ah okay maybe I should read the article.

Actually, you don't need to
It was in paracelsuses... Uhh... Paracelsus'...
It was in the quote provided by Paracelsus.

Our waitress explained that the grease is carefully strained every night after closing hour (usually about 4am; this is Beale Street, after all); and besides, the really old grease is always burning off, so the supply that supposedly never changes is, in fact, always changing.

[NEOWatcher]

Yeah, actually it's common practice to keep "old" oil and continue to use it...

Right;
And now that I think a bit more about it. I'm not so worried about the oil itself, but the surrounding surfaces... It's the splashes, and built up gunk that doesn't get heated to sanitary levels which is the real culprit.

So; if they clean the fryers when they are emptied for filtering...

And; they point to taste... Usually oil is bad because the rancid taste starts to affect it. If it tastes other than rancid, then it's probably ok.

Here's another view...
http://www.oliveoilsource.com/olive_oil_storage.htm

Rancid oil has fewer antioxidants but is not poisonous. A good percentage of the world's population routinely eat rancid oil because of lack of proper storage conditions and some actually prefer the taste.

[TrAI]

I'd eat.

The oil is continuously changed- just never changed all at one time.
That grease is NOT the same grease as what they started with in 1912. The article even admits that.

Hmmm... My first thought on reading this was to the effect "Perhaps it is supposed to be some sort of homeopathic cooking grease"...

[John Jones]

There was a post on msn.com recently naming the best burger joints in the US. I can't find the link to that post for the life of me, but I remeber that one of the places named was Dyer's in Memphis, TN. I found a review of their food here: http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Writ...251&RefID=1251

Notice what the review had to say about the restaurant's hygiene practices:



Ew. EwewewewewewewewewewewewewewewewEW!!!

I would think it would be in the owner's best interests to keep the vintage of his oil a deep secret--part of the 'special recipe' as it were.

That's a bit of folklore that Dyers' itself like to spread around. Fact is, the Health Department makes them change their grease as often as every other restaurant.

They take 1 cup of the old grease from the fryer, and added it into the new batch.

ETA: Oops. Neverfly beat me to it.

[Joe Boy]

Did you ever eat there when you were down there John?

[John Jones]

Did you ever eat there when you were down there John?

Sure. It's been a while, so let me see if I can remember. I think they cooked their burgers, fries, and onion rings in the same grease.

I can't remember if they deep-fried their burgers, or fried them in about 3 inches of grease in an iron skillet. I just remember they were very greasy and smothered with onions. Yum yum!

ETA: I should have read the OP more closely. It's a black iron skillet.

[Joe Boy]

Sure. It's been a while, so let me see if I can remember. I think they cooked their burgers, fires, onion rings in the same grease.

I can't remember if they deep-fried their burgers, or fried them in about 3 inches of grease in an iron skillet. I just remember they were very greasy and smothered with onions. Yum yum!

ETA: I should have read the OP more closely. It's a black iron skillet.

That does sound good--thank you for the response--joe

[Studioguy]

I've eaten at Dyers. The burger is stunningly delicious. The burger has a crunchy crust on it and the meaty middle is really "juicy." All that grease does prove to give it a very fast track, so be prepared: You don't own it, you're just borrowing it for a short time

[Paracelsus]

I've eaten at Dyers. The burger is stunningly delicious. The burger has a crunchy crust on it and the meaty middle is really "juicy." All that grease does prove to give it a very fast track, so be prepared: You don't own it, you're just borrowing it for a short time

Eek!

Not the place to go on a first date, obviously.

[GeorgeLeRoyTirebiter]

...and besides, the really old grease is always burning off, so the supply that supposedly never changes is, in fact, always changing.

Oh, so it's like the oil in my car.

[sarongsong]

Eek!...

But just the ticket for certain medical situations!

[Salty]

Yeah, I'd eat one.

When I was at NAS Millington in '62, we'd go into Memphis. There was a burger joint named Crystals. They had miniburgers for a dime. You could buy a whole sack full for a dollar.

Was Dyers there, in '62? I don't remember it.

[Ivan Viehoff]

It is reminiscent of the solera system used for making sherry. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solera

[geonuc]

Yeah, I'd eat one.

When I was at NAS Millington in '62, we'd go into Memphis. There was a burger joint named Crystals. They had miniburgers for a dime. You could buy a whole sack full for a dollar.

That was maybe one of the Krystal restaurants? A large chain specializing in small, weird burgers. Lots of them in Atlanta.

[John Jones]

Yeah, I'd eat one.

When I was at NAS Millington in '62, we'd go into Memphis. There was a burger joint named Crystals. They had miniburgers for a dime. You could buy a whole sack full for a dollar.

Was Dyers there, in '62? I don't remember it.

Krystals. It's the White Castle equivalent in the SE USA

As far as I know, Dyer's had a place on Cleveland near Poplar for many years. That was at least as far back as the late 1960s. That was the one I ate at in the 1980s.

ETA: Dyer's was a few blocks down the street from Krystals, which was across the street from that Humongous Sears Crosstown store. One million square feet plus. Ring a bell?

[Paracelsus]

Krystals was the place that sold the little square burgerlets. Blick. My favorite burger would have to be the one Fuddruckers sells.

[geonuc]

Krystals. It's the White Castle equivalent in the SE USA.

I think I just mentioned this in the post above yours. It's Krystal, not Krystals.

[Studioguy]

Krystals was the place that sold the little square burgerlets. Blick. My favorite burger would have to be the one Fuddruckers sells.

It's not really fair to compare a .07lb "burgerlet" patty served on a steamed dinner roll with a dash of reconstituted onions, mustard, and a pickle to a full on half-pounder from The Fudd! That's like comparing driving your own Mercedes to a ride in a rickshaw! That's not to say that I don't love to plop down with a sack of 10 and watch some football though.

Funny story on the sad state of American education...

I once stopped by a Krystal to pick up a pile of them when heading over to a friend's to watch a game. I very clearly said, "I'd like to get 2 'sacks of 10 with cheese' and 2 'sacks of 10 without cheese.'" (It's important to note that there was an actual menu item called "sack of 10 with/without cheese")

The girl on the other end momentarily started talking unintelligibly, then came on the speaker and said: "How many Krystals is that total?"

Perhaps I'm being too harsh though. Just seemed odd that (2*10)+(2*10)=? would be so hard to workout mentally.

[captain swoop]

The oil is continuously changed- just never changed all at one time.

Like a Wizards tobacco.

[DyerWolf]

Seeing as it's my namesake restaurant - I had to eat there when my wife and I visited.

The food is great!

I highly recommend a stop there if you're ever in Memphis.

[Whirlpool]

I'd eat it too.

It's like wine ..tastes better when Aged.

[John Jones]

Anyone here ever eat balut? That one really tests my endurance.

I have to leave the room when my wife indulges in this delicacy.

[Paracelsus]

Anyone here ever eat balut? That one really tests my endurance.

I have to leave the room when my wife indulges in this delicacy.

Can't do that. ERGGGGGHHHHH!!